Alexis

Happened on Sunday afternnon. Either 3.6 or 3.9. (Can't remember as didn't buy paper.) We didn't feel it here, not like the last time at Hennebont.

Try the local papers. You can often find them for sale. Ouest France on a Saturday is good. Long lengths of new wood can be ordered from places like Big Mat.

They will drop out of their green coats back end. You will just have to pick them up. With the winds of last week blowing hundreds of walnuts down, I am trying pickled walnuts for the first time. They have been in brine for nearly a week now so, finger crossed! Is it an exceptional year for walnuts everywhere?

HURRAH!!! One less......

I suppose it depends where you live as to the depth of feeling of any kind for the British. You have to realise that around me in Morbihan there are loads of British owned properties. Prices rise, locals can't buy etc etc. Lots are holiday homes used perhaps a month a year. The others often occupied by people working on the black - or not working at all. All my work mates grumble where as before they would not say anything directly to me. Apparently, there is 'trouble' in the village amongst the British clique. I have nothing to do with them. No time but wary also. Lot of back biting and gossip. Anyway, she says ducking down behind the settee, apparently, because of the massive rise in prices, a 'better class of person' is now buying. So that's alright then!!

Rest easy. Just floods each winter.....

It certainly blew a bit here but I believe others had it worse. My poor garden!

Take a look at your neighbours gardens. Mind you, they are not very adventurous here! Hydrangas, arum lilies .... then pots. I am on granite too but do have some top soil and EVERYTHING grows. Watch out for late frosts though.....

The earlies last year escaped the beetle but they don't like hot weather so it could have been that. When they did arrive they went onto the aubergines but not many of them. They also like tomatoes apparently. Giving up the veg. Fed up. Need to plant the earlies in March and you can guarantee it pours down every day so they are in late..... And so it continues. Much as I love my garden, and I do, I do, every spare minute I have there needs to be something done in it and it is getting ridiculous.

Ooh! Don't really know but I think it is the same. All the signs on the autoroute just show the limits for dry or wet weather. Not different speeds for different vehicules. The lorries certainly thunder along.

If you have no luck on the board, you can often find them in the local paper. Around here anyway.

Lasure. My joiner told me to use it on my new doors and windows. It protects, lets the wood breathe etc. Can be bought water based or erm, the stuff you use white spirit to clean your brushes with! I bought some which dries in 30 minutes when the latest windows arrived the week before Christmas and it wasn't that warm here to be having the windows open for 24 hours whilst the old type lasure dried. It is Aqua Stop by 3V3 or is it V33? I never know! Blue tin.

All quiet on the mole front here. They should be tunneling to Australia searching for worms. It is spring and autumn when the worms come to the top of the soil that the moles are the most visibly active. Or so I have been told. In praise of the cats, they have been making an effort and jumping on the molehills......they do something else too which is probably why the moles caught the bus down to Quillan. Have you seen any with little black and white flags? Or signs saying "Bretagne pour le Bretons"? If so, they used to live here.

Won't a bill do? Electric, water, telephone?

I have just come back from a quick dash to the UK bringing with me seven brands of white strong flour to 'test'. I did have high hopes of a new flour I found in Super U the other week but, sadly, not up to much. Many years ago I did a bread making course and I was told you could freeze fresh yeast. My memory being what it is, I checked on google and they said no....kills it. Bought some fresh yeast in the health food shop in the UK and the lady said that you can freeze it....... Anyway, I went into Sainsbury's in Newhaven and asked if they had some - 800g for 99p. If it doesn't work, I can afford it!! I had some wonderfull toast this morning. Homemade strawberry jam too.

Are you talking about tomorrow, the 6th June? I wouldn't have thought so. There is some 'thing' on! Best place to find shops open is in smallish towns/large villages. Before midday Intermarche is usually open, as is Ecomarche. Small epiceries too.

Excellent. Loved it!

Sorry, never looked. Poss. going to a garden centre this afternoon (for a treat) so will keep my eye out.

Nothing seems to be going right in the veg garden. Bloody Colorado beetle on the spuds. Black fly on the broad beans. Cats rolled on the seedlings. Onion and shallots sets dug up. It has been decided - next year, no veg. Just an abundance of flowers..... slugs permitting!!! Going to start saving seeds for a swap. Anyone interested?

Plant in September/October then you won't need to water. Once the winter is over they should all be established and not need watering. Plant bulbs, perennials and shrubs and voil, instant garden. The danger here in Morbihan is death by drowning ....

Today at the Floralies I saw the 'mole killer' plant. Not the one I have - perhaps that just frightens them away - but the real McCoy. 100,000 for the name! Any offers? Tight lot! Incarvillea. Not checked this out but several stalls were promoting this as the top mole repellant. We shall see! One of my seeds has germinated - pathetic - so, hopefully, we will be able to test 'Louis's Plant' too!

Now, how did I guess it was you? ha ha ha!! Will look out some trashy novels for you. . .

Very tempted but don't know what days I am working yet. Anyone been before?

Went to La Poulailler to pick up my ordered chickens. What little beauties! One of them 'sang' all the way home in the car . . . Seem to have settled in with the others ok which I was a bit worried about. Just have to go and have another look at them.

Just seen a bit on the telly about mole deterrents and one of them was to put an empty water bottle upside down on a long stick and plant this in one of the mountains. This vibrates with the wind and frightens (!) the mole off . . . There was lots of other suggestions - mostly expensive -that didn't, apparently, work. They talked so quickly I didn't catch half of what they said. Anyway, I have confidence in my plant . . .!